Quattro Question

[AJinDuncan]

Is it normal that when you exhale that you feel the mask push out? its hard to explain but I think if it is normal you will know what I am talking about. Its almost like there are not enough holes for the exhale to exit. I have to have it super tight for it not to do it.I can sometime actually feel the mask move. Thanks guys. BTW my pressure setting is a 9

[PST]

Is it normal that when you exhale that you feel the mask push out? its hard to explain but I think if it is normal you will know what I am talking about. Its almost like there are not enough holes for the exhale to exit. I have to have it super tight for it not to do it.I can sometime actually feel the mask move. Thanks guys. BTW my pressure setting is a 9

It may depend on what CPAP machine you're using. I know what you're talking about, because I've felt it, but only at the sleep lab. I wish I knew what model that was, but I didn't check. The Elite II that I use at home seems to do a much better job of holding the pressure at the prescribed level, so I don't feel the mask alternately sticking to my face and then puffing out as I inhale and exhale. That behavior is something I would expect from a machine that is maintaining a constant flow, rather than adjusting quickly to what's happening at the other end of the hose and maintaining a constant pressure.

[jweeks]

AJ,

Yes, it is normal for the mask to move. It is especially noticeable on BiPAP machines, and less so when you have some kind of exhale relief in place (such as AFLEX or CFLEX). It is usually just the opposite of what you see--normally the mask pushes out on inhale as the pressure goes up, and then it settles back down on your face during exhale when the pressure is a little lower. This is normal as the higher pressure causes the mask seal to inflate a bit. It does feel kind of odd, and did take me a bit to get used to.

BTW, it may be counter-productive to have your mask really tight. When you do that, you can collapse the seal, making it very difficult to prevent leaks. If you are not getting a good fit, perhaps you need a different size mask or a different style. I struggled with a number of masks trying to get a seal, often ending up with them being so tight as to leave marks, before I found the one that worked for me.

-john-

[Rustyolddude]

Yes it's normal, it's a good indicator that you have the mask adjusted correctly especially if you don't have any leaks. If you don't feel it, then you've got the mask too tight. I run a pressure of 10 with C-flex set to 3 and I can feel it.

[AJinDuncan]

Yes it's normal, it's a good indicator that you have the mask adjusted correctly especially if you don't have any leaks. If you don't feel it, then you've got the mask too tight. I run a pressure of 10 with C-flex set to 3 and I can feel it.

Thanks for the responses everyone. Rusty, it looks like we have the same machine and same settings. It is pretty annoying and i just didn't know if it was like that for all masks or if it is the machine.